Electronic apparatus and method of providing image on a wearable optical device

Abstract

To enhance visibility of an image provided by a wearable optical device depending on different situations. Provided is an electronic apparatus including an illuminance information acquisition unit (510) configured to acquire illuminance information indicating illuminance of light incident on a wearable optical device toward a viewer from a real space, a situation information acquisition unit (540) configured to acquire situation information indicating a situation surrounding the wearable optical device, a luminance determination unit (520) configured to determine luminance of light emitted by the wearable optical device to allow the viewer to perceive an image superimposed on the real space, the determination of luminance being performed on a basis of the illuminance information and the situation information, and a controller (530) configured to control the wearable optical device to cause the wearable optical device to emit light having the determined luminance.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor configured to:
 acquire illuminance information indicating illuminance of first light incident on a wearable optical device, wherein the first light is incident from a real space towards the wearable optical device associated with a viewer; 
 acquire situation information indicating a situation that surrounds the wearable optical device; 
 select a first step function and a second step function from a plurality of step functions for conversion of the illuminance of the first light into a luminance of a second light emitted from the wearable optical device, wherein each step function of the plurality of step functions corresponds to a relationship between the illuminance of the first light and the luminance of the second light; 
 determine the luminance of the second light emitted from the wearable optical device based on the illuminance information and the situation information; 
 convert, by one of the first step function or the second step function, the illuminance of the first light into the luminance of the second light; 
 switch from the first step function to the second step function based on a decrease of the illuminance of the first light after an increase of the illuminance of the first light beyond a first boundary value of the first step function and increase of the luminance of the second light by a step of the first step function, wherein
 the luminance of the second light is kept constant until the illuminance of the first light is lower than a second boundary value of the second step function, and 
 the second boundary value is lower than the first boundary value; and 
 
 control the wearable optical device to emit the second light at the luminance of the second light. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the situation information further indicates a rate of change in the illuminance of the first light, 
 the rate of change in the illuminance of the first light indicates the decrease of the illuminance of the first light, and 
 the at least one processor is further configured to decrease a delay of a first change in the luminance of the second light with respect to a second change in the illuminance of the first light based on the rate of change in the illuminance. 
 
     
     
       3. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 select a process from a plurality of candidate processes based on the situation information; and 
 determine the luminance of the second light based on the illuminance information and the selected process. 
 
     
     
       4. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the situation information further indicates a rate of change in the illuminance of the first light, 
 the plurality of candidate processes includes a first process and a second process, 
 the first process includes a delay of a first change in the luminance of the second light with respect to a second change in the illuminance of the first light, 
 the second process excludes the delay of the first change, and 
 the at least one processor is further configured to select the second process based on the decrease of the illuminance indicated by the rate of change. 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the first change in the luminance of the second light is based on the first process. 
     
     
       6. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the situation information is based on a value output from a motion sensor attached to the wearable optical device of the viewer. 
     
     
       7. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the plurality of candidate processes includes a first process to convert the illuminance into the luminance at a first ratio, and a second process to convert the illuminance into the luminance at a second ratio, 
 the second ratio is lower than the first ratio, 
 the at least one processor is further configured to select the second process based on the situation information, and 
 the situation information further indicates occurrence of a motion to translate a range of the real space included in a field of view of the viewer. 
 
     
     
       8. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the situation information further includes behavior information indicating a behavior of the viewer. 
     
     
       9. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the behavior information is based on a value output from a sensor integrated with the wearable optical device. 
     
     
       10. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the situation information further includes attachment installation information indicating an installation state of an optical attachment in the wearable optical device. 
     
     
       11. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising a switch configured to detect a connection between the wearable optical device and the optical attachment, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the attachment installation information based on an output of the switch. 
     
     
       12. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 generate the illuminance information based on a value output from an optical sensor, 
 wherein the optical sensor is independent of an optical influence by the optical attachment; and 
 control incorporation of the optical influence into the luminance based on a registered optical property of the optical attachment and based on the attachment installation information which indicates installation of the optical attachment, 
 wherein the optical influence is based on the installation of the optical attachment. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second step function is offset from the first step function in a negative direction of the illuminance. 
 
     
     
       14. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to smoothen the luminance of the second light. 
     
     
       15. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to reduce noise included in the illuminance. 
     
     
       16. The electronic apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein
 the at least one processor is further configured to remove, from the illuminance, a component that corresponds to a first change in the illuminance, 
 the component is removed based on a detection of the first change in the illuminance in time frequency, and 
 the first change in the illuminance exceeds a threshold value. 
 
     
     
       17. An image processing method, comprising:
 detecting illuminance of first light incident on a wearable optical device, wherein the first light is incident from a real space toward the wearable optical device associated with a viewer; 
 acquiring situation information indicating a situation surrounding the wearable optical device; 
 selecting a first step function and a second step function from a plurality of step functions for conversion of the illuminance of the first light into a luminance of a second light emitted from the wearable optical device, wherein each step function of the plurality of step functions corresponds to a relationship between the illuminance of the first light and the luminance of the second light; 
 determining the luminance of the second light emitted from the wearable optical device based on the detected illuminance and the situation information; 
 converting, by one of the first step function or the second step function, the illuminance of the first light into the luminance of the second light; 
 switching from the first step function to the second step function based on a decrease of the illuminance of the first light after an increase of the illuminance of the first light beyond a first boundary value of the first step function and increase of the luminance of the second light by a step of the first step function, wherein
 the luminance of the second light is kept constant until the illuminance of the first light is lower than a second boundary value of the second step function, and 
 the second boundary value is lower than the first boundary value; and 
 
 controlling the wearable optical device to emit the second light at the luminance of the second light.